Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, 2020 - 2021, Trip Advice, 4K Tour, Series Episode

Sugarloaf Mountain or in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the mouth of Guanabara Bay with a height of 396 meters or 1,299 feet above the harbor. Sugarloaf is one of several monolithic granite and quartz mountains that rise straight from the water's edge around Rio de Janeiro. Geologically, it is considered to be part of a family of steep-sided rock outcroppings known as non-inselberg bornhardts.
Sugarloaf is said to have been given its name because of its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf of sugar. The mountain was given its name in the 16th century by the Portuguese during the height of the sugarcane trade in Brazil. Blocks of sugar were placed in conical molds made of clay to be transported on ships similar to the form of the mountains peak.
Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, is known worldwide for its cableway and panoramic views of the city and beyond and the area is protected by the Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument, created in 2006 which became part of a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 2012.
There are 2 common variations for ascending to the peak of Sugarloaf. To reach the summit, visitors have to first ascend to the top of Morro da Urca. To do this they can either take the first leg of the cable car as seen here. The other option is to hike the trail up the 220 meter or 722 foot Mount Urca to get to the top. Once at the top of Mount Urca there is a second cable car run that will take them over to the peak of Sugarloaf.
The full ascent using just the cable cars and avoiding the hike takes about 3 minutes. Although the hike is very enjoyable and only takes about 20 minutes, the bubble-shaped cars offer passengers a comfortable ride with 360 degree views of the surrounding city. Once at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain the view is of the surrounding Rio de Janeiro and the ocean below. The weather will greatly effect the visibility off the peak and if you see the top is surrounded in fog you can count on zero visibility.
Don’t let a little rain discourage you though. In my experience the best time to go up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain are when there are clouds rolling in over the surrounding mountains. Sometimes the risk is worth the effort but if you are limited on time you may want to choose a bright sunny day to ascend to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain.
The best time of day to go is about an hour and a half before sunset. Keep in mind most residents will be off work and many people know the view from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain puts the sunset directly behind Christ the Redeemer. This makes social distancing a little more difficult, but not impossible.
The top of Sugarloaf Mountain has a very large viewing area on multiple tiers. All you really need to do is plan out a spot accordingly and try to avoid the crowds. The best times to go for avoiding people are mid-morning to early afternoon, Monday to Friday when most residents of Rio are at work. Weekends by far are the busiest times to visit Sugarloaf Mountain although in the mornings it is not nearly as busy as it is at Sunset.
Compared to Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain is considerably less busy and occupied by other people. I found the view to be nicer because the surrounding mountains provide interesting shadows over the valley and there isn’t as much hype about going to Sugarloaf. With Christ the Redeemer I had very high expectations and it simply did not live up to them.
Mount Urca is also a very impressive area and there will be a video to come about it soon. I found it to be the most enjoyable out of the high travelled mountain areas in Rio de Janeiro and as var as value goes, Sugarloaf and Urca beat out Christ the Redeemer 3 to 1.
If you are looking for an interesting perspective, enjoy watching a sunset or just want to get up and above the city I recommend going up to Sugarloaf Mountain.
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